The sixth IPCC-report (9 August 2021) emphasizes that human, economic and financial activities cause climate change and ecological imbalances. They make our planet more and more unsustainable.
These activities moreover unsettle the organisation of democratic communities: inequalities in revenues and wealth are out of control and effective democracy is in free fall.
It is no secret that these economic and financial activities are made possible and enforceable by legal rules and instruments such as amongst others contracts, ownership, liability, intellectual property, and rules governing markets and businesses…
Therefore, when economic and financial activities cause distortions that endanger sustainability and wellbeing on our planet, the legal system cannot wash its hands in innocence.
In democratic societies, law and justice are not what they ought to be when their application results in global warming, loss of biodiversity, health crises, inequal access to education and information, and different life expectancy depending on income and wealth. The law is clearly off track.
Continuing with the current legal and economic system is not an option : the past has shown that it will not bring the required changes to overcome these challenges. Law and justice must be put back on track of their regulatory function in a democratic society. Only then they will be able to, effectively and efficiently, address all societal disruptions faced today.
To foster research and publications that focus on the relationship between law and justice, on the one hand, and effective democracy, on the other hand, to allow our society and other communities to deal with the current challenges, Prof. Dr. Régine Feltkamp and Prof. Dr. Em. Ludo Cornelis set up the “Law back on track” (LBT) publication & blog platform. Through questioning traditional legal tools, rules and thinking, LBT wants to put law (and justice) back on track. LBT aims to share in open access innovative and constructive analysis and proposals, which aim to ensure that all people can flourish within planetary and democratic boundaries, and that they can benefit from the best possible living conditions.
As first book in open access made available in successive episodes via the LBT platform is “Ordre public et démocratie”. In this work Ludo Cornelis makes the point that the legal system is largely responsible for the current situation, but that law and the administration of justice can become driving and innovative forces able to control the major challenges we face if they are restructured for the reasons detailed and in the ways proposed in “Ordre public et démocratie”.
The LBT platform is open to further publications and events (in Dutch, English or French) related to the research domain of LBT. Do you have a publication, activity, information or an event in connection with LBT’s research object which you would like to share via the LBT platform? Please contact us.
The LBT activities can also be followed on and shared via the Linkedin page.
LBT hopes you enjoy the LBT readings and looks forward to your feedback!
